Monkey by Wu Ch'eng-en – unreliable review by Princess

Below is the intro from the supremely silly dubbed Japanese TV series that was made from the book in the late 1970’s. I was 14 and we had just moved to Suffolk and this programme was the perfect start to the weekend. Monkey then trawl round a jumble sale (or two if you were lucky) in the days when you could get a bagful of treasures for 50p though you had to go in with braced elbows, low and fast.

Then home to manufacture an outfit from said treasures after a cup of stewed tea and a rock bun of dubious provenance.

I thought monkey was Daddy Cool with his big Sideburns, ability to surf on clouds, his staff that could grow to any length and his mischievous nature.

Point of interest the guy who dubbed the voice of the Horse is Andrew Sachs.

“In the worlds before monkey primal chaos reigned. Heaven sought order but the phoenix can fly only when its feathers are grown.

The four worlds formed again and yet again as endless aeons wheeled and passed.

Time and the pure essences of heaven and moisture of the earth, the powers of the sun and the moon all worked on a certain rock old as creation and it became magically fertile. That first egg was named thought.

Tathagata Buddha, the father Buddha said with our thoughts we make the world.

Elemental forces caused the egg to hatch. From it then came a stone monkey.

The nature of monkey was irrepressible!!!!!!!!!”

We had a good discussion about the stories which were enjoyed though perhaps were a little repetitive.

Not all the group saw the TV series and some felt that was a bonus as it did not shape the images thought up on reading the stories.

Some finished the book!

The conversation meandered through childhood exploits: trying to mimic super heroes and Buddhist adventures on a barge and that old chestnut of how do we stop fantasy and reality monkeying around with our brains creating confusion and the need to sleep with the light on and check all cupboards and under beds? Twice. Once is never enough. Rookie mistake. A very enjoyable meeting.